Gargždai Area Museum, near the park of the town. This old building will be replaced with a new modern museum building – The team is preparing for a new permanent exhibition and wants to tell more about the Jews of the town, who once made up 60% of the population.
A look at the previous permanent exhibition. Where can traces of Jewish life be found in the former everyday life of the residents?
Many names can be found in the registry offices, some of them through documents and stories. You have to search in all directions.
Jan 9 2026 we had a inspiring meeting with the director, an advisory board member and a historian from the Gargždai Area Museum.
Excerpt from the city map of memories by George Birmann, who was known for his photographs of Memel – with many family names marked on it.
The descendants and emigrants from the village formed a lively community and collected their memories of their hometown, which for centuries lay directly on the border with East Prussia, not far from Memel. A source for many stories in Yiddish, Hebrew and English.
The map of Gordz in Yiddish from the memorial book.
The Jewish community of Klaipeda commemorates the victims with trips to the mass graves in the places where Jews were murdered in 1941 immediately after the German invasion. These are often located in forests – in Gargzdai, the first one is right next to today’s main bus stop. Photo taken on 22 September 2025.
View from the museum towards the church – where the synagogues used to stand nearby. Here, you can still feel the atmosphere of a shtetl.
Link to page Other Places related to East Prussia >>
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